This Charming Man
by SnowyWolff
Summary: Antonio's bike gets a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. Good thing a charming stranger drives by and offers him a ride. Loosely based on the Smiths' song 'This Charming Man.'


_Punctured bicycle  
On a hillside desolate  
Will Nature make a man of me yet?_

 _When in this charming car  
This charming man_

 _Why pamper life's complexities  
When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?_

 _I would go out tonight  
But I haven't got a stitch to wear  
This man said "It's gruesome  
That someone so handsome should care"_

This Charming Man - The Smiths

* * *

Antonio stared woefully at his bicycle. It was just his luck that his back tire would give out in the middle of nowhere.

He glanced around, but there was only forest on one side of the road and miles of empty fields on the other. He wasn't even sure whether it was faster to return to the small town down the winding hillside or to continue on towards his intended destination of another small town in the middle of nowhere.

Right. Well, standing around wasn't going to fix anything, and Antonio had always considered himself the kind of guy to move forward, so onwards he went, pushing his bicycle along.

In a way it was nice. There was more time to appreciate nature and experience what it had to offer on this sunny day. He stopped and dropped his bike on the grass beside him. Closing his eyes, he focused on his other senses. A light, cool breeze ruffled his hair and cooled his cheeks. Leaves ruffled, whispering hidden melodies to those listening. The smell of freshly mowed grass mixed with pinewood and something earthly. There were birds chirping, blackbirds probably, but they stopped to give way to the soft rumble of an approaching car.

He opened his eyes and watched as a shiny red cabriolet rolled up the hill, the top down and the driver hidden behind sunglasses. Antonio blinked stupidly when it stopped next to him and the driver gave him a long look, his head tilting slightly as he took in Antonio's dishevelled appearance.

"Need a ride?" he asked then, but the words hardly registered with Antonio.

He continued to stare at this man with flyaway curls and freckles across the bridge of his nose. Handsome, charming, and a whole bunch of other flattering adjectives flew across Antonio's mind. The sun reflected off the sunglasses and Antonio's eyes lowered to the nice suit the man was wearing.

When Antonio didn't make a move, the man huffed impatiently and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. His sunglasses slipped down his nose a little and golden eyes regarded him coolly over the brim. "I'll repeat myself once," he said, slowly as if Antonio was daft. "Would you like a ride?"

Antonio had the presence of mind to answer this time. "Do I look like I need one?"

"Frankly, yes."

Antonio laughed. There was something about this man. He seemed so charming, and the way his eyes glittered in the sunlight…

"I can't leave my bike here," Antonio said, still smiling.

The man waved dismissively. "Toss it in the back; I don't care."

"It'll ruin the leather."

"See if I care," the man said and propped his sunglasses back up his nose. "Go on then."

Antonio hesitated a moment, glancing between his bike and the car. One more look at the man sent him into action however and he hefted the bike over the side of the car. He winced slightly as it toppled over onto the nice beige leather. He glanced quickly at the man, but he was staring straight ahead.

He slipped carefully into the passenger seat then and the man drove off as Antonio fumbled for his seatbelt. Antonio wrung his hands, suddenly very self conscious of this nicely-dressed man in comparison to his own shabby clothes.

"I'm Antonio," he blurted. He wasn't very good with silence.

The man pursed his lips, and for a moment Antonio thought he wouldn't get an answer.

"Lovino," the man said slowly, his fingers clenching around the steering wheel for a moment.

Antonio smiled. "That's a beautiful name."

Lovino scoffed, but his cheeks dusted a pretty pink. Antonio wondered whether he was crossing a line already when Lovino changed to topic. "Where do you need to go?"

"Oh. Just to the next town, I guess. Have the tire fixed or replaced and I should be good to go again."

Lovino nodded. "And then?"

"And then?"

"You know. Where are you going next?"

"Oh." Antonio laughed. "I'm not sure. Wherever the wind takes me, I guess."

"Cheesy."

"I kind of am," Antonio said. He sighed, slouching in his seat slightly to look up at the sky. "I'm not one for staying still. I like to move, to travel. Everywhere and nowhere."

"Really fucking cheesy." Lovino sounded amused as he spoke and Antonio spotted the small smile curving his lips. Then it slipped away and Lovino sighed. "Everywhere and nowhere, huh?"

Antonio hummed, already thinking of ways to make Lovino smile more. "I'd say this is nowhere."

"I bet."

"Where do you think everywhere is?"

Lovino pursed his lips and glanced furtively in Antonio's direction. "Not here."

"Everywhere is always nowhere."

"That makes no sense."

Antonio smiled. "Well. You can't be everywhere at once, right? So, therefore the everywhere is really nowhere, because you aren't really _there_."

Lovino turned the words over silently. Antonio almost believed him to have dismissed them, but it appeared he had to stop underestimating the man next to him.

"That's such _utter_ bullshit," Lovino spat, struggling to keep the smile off his face. "God, I think my brother waxes better poetry."

"You have a brother?" Antonio latched on, grinning stupidly.

"Yes. A stupid fool. Just like you, apparently."

"I see." Antonio watched Lovino for a moment, noticed how his jaw clenched, and decided he didn't want to stay on this topic. "That's a nice suit you're wearing. It, ah, suits you."

Lovino's hand reached for the clutch and he stepped on the breaks, nearly snapping Antonio's head off with the violent stop. Momentarily grounding himself by clinging to the dashboard, Antonio turned towards him, confused.

Lovino snatched off his sunglasses and gave Antonio a _look_. And Antonio couldn't help himself; he burst out in laughter.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," Lovino snapped. "Fucking make another pun and I'll ditch your ass in the damn woods."

Antonio snorted, trying and failing to curb his laughter. Lovino just continued to give him a narrow stare, those golden eyes colouring brown like the autumn leaves behind him.

"Oh my God, Lovino," Antonio managed. "That was so… _dramatic_."

"Good," Lovino snarled, but it wasn't really meant that way. Antonio saw the way his lips quivered in a smile. "I didn't want to be left behind, you cheesy, poetic bastard."

Antonio honestly didn't think his smile could get any wider.

Lovino glanced away, and it took Antonio a second to realise he was waiting for Antonio to do the same. They stood in front of a split path.

"Right is your small town. Your next nowhere," Lovino said softly. "Left…" He looked back at Antonio, his eyes glinting. "Go on a date with me."

Antonio blinked and turned his head slowly. "I…" he said, unsure. "I don't have anything nice to wear."

Lovino scoffed. "You're handsome. I don't think you should care about nice clothes. Doesn't fit your everywhere-is-really-nowhere aesthetic."

Antonio laughed and reached for Lovino's hand still resting on the clutch. He lifted it up to his lips and kissed it, relishing in the dark blush creeping up Lovino's neck.

"I'd be delighted then," he said.

Lovino smiled and his eyes burned brighter than the overhead sun. Without another word, he pulled his hand back, put the car into first gear and took the left path.

Antonio wondered if this was the first time he was exactly where he wanted to be.

* * *

 **I was in a mood and wrote this in three days.**

 **I think The Smiths fit Lovino quite nicely, albeit in the more depressive sense of the music. Actually, I think the 80s aesthetic fits him well in general.**


End file.
